Minotaur II
 Minotaur II launch from Vandenberg | |
| Function | Suborbital launch system |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Orbital Sciences (original); Northrop Grumman (current) |
| Country of origin |  United States |
| Size | |
| Height | 19.21 metres (63.0 ft) |
| Diameter | 1.67 metres (5 ft 6 in) |
| Mass | 36,200 kilograms (79,800 lb) |
| Stages | 2 or 3 |
| Capacity | |
| Payload to 8000km S/O | |
| Mass | 400 kilograms (880 lb) |
| Launch history | |
| Status | Active |
| Launch sites | Vandenberg LF-06 Vandenberg TP-01 |
| Total launches | 9 |
| Success(es) | 8 |
| First flight | 28 May 2000 |
| Last flight | 7 July 2022 |
| First stage – M55E1 | |
| Powered by | 1 Solid |
| Maximum thrust | 935 kilonewtons (210,000 lbf) |
| Propellant | Solid |
| Second stage – SR19AJ1 | |
| Powered by | 1 Solid |
| Maximum thrust | 268 kilonewtons (60,000 lbf) |
| Propellant | Solid |
| Third stage (Baseline) – M57A1 | |
| Powered by | 1 Solid |
| Propellant | Solid |
| Third stage (Minotaur II ) – SR-73-AJ | |
| Powered by | 1 Solid |
| Propellant | Solid |
| Third stage (Heavy) – Orion 50XL | |
| Powered by | 1 Solid |
| Maximum thrust | 118.2 kilonewtons (26,600 lbf) |
| Burn time | 74 seconds |
| Propellant | Solid |
Minotaur II rockets consist of the M55A1 first stage and SR19AJ1 second stage of a decommissioned Minuteman missile. The third stage varies depending on the configuration required for the payload: a Minuteman II M57A1 stage is used on the baseline configuration, whilst the Minotaur II uses an SR-73-AJ. The Minotaur II Lite is a two-stage configuration, without a third stage. A heavy configuration is also available, with an Orion 50XL third stage, as used on the Minotaur I. The baseline configuration can propel a 400 kilograms (880 lb) payload 4,000 kilometres (2,500 mi) downrange, whilst the heavy configuration can place 1,400 kilograms (3,100 lb) onto an 8,000-kilometre (5,000 mi) trajectory.
Nine Minotaur II rockets have been launched as of July 2022, with six flights using the baseline configuration and three using the Minotaur II configuration. Launches are conducted from Launch Facility 06 (LF-06) and Test Pad 01 (TP-01).
Launch history
[edit]| Flight No. | Date (UTC) | Rocket | Payload | Launch pad | Trajectory | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 28, 2000
20:00 |
Minotaur II | OSP-TLV Missile Defense Technology Demonstrator | Vandenberg LF-06 | Suborbital | Success |
| 2 | December 12, 2001 | Minotaur II | IFT-7 target mission | Vandenberg LF-06 | Suborbital | Success |
| 3 | March 16, 2002
02:11 |
Minotaur II | TLV-1 IFT-8 GMDS target mission | Vandenberg LF-06 | Suborbital | Success |
| 4 | October 15, 2002
02:01 |
Minotaur II | TLV-3 GMDS target mission | Vandenberg LF-06 | Suborbital | Success |
| 5 | December 11, 2002
08:26 |
Minotaur II | TLV-4 GMDS target mission | Vandenberg LF-06 | Suborbital | Success |
| 6 | March 20, 2007
04:27 |
Minotaur II | TLV-5 FTX-02 SBR target mission | Vandenberg LF-06 | Suborbital | Success |
| 7 | August 23, 2007
08:30 |
Minotaur II | TLV-7 Mission 2a sensor target for NFIRE satellite | Vandenberg LF-06 | Suborbital | Success |
| 8 | September 24, 2008
06:57 |
Minotaur II | TLV-8 Mission 2b sensor target for NFIRE satellite | Vandenberg LF-06 | Suborbital | Success |
| 9 | July 7, 2022
06:01[1] |
Minotaur II | Mk21A reentry vehicle test[2][a] | Vandenberg TP-01 | Suborbital | Failure |
Notes
[edit]- ^ Reentry vehicle demonstration for the future LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile. Rocket exploded 11 seconds after launch.
References
[edit]- Krebs, Gunter. "Minotaur-2 (OSP-SLV)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2009-04-30.
- Krebs, Gunter. "Minuteman Target Launch Vehicles". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2009-04-28.
- ^ Scully, Janene (7 July 2022). "Missile Test Ends in Explosion Seconds After Launch from Vandenberg SFB". Noozhawk. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
- ^ Martinez-Pogue, Jade (6 July 2022). "Test rocket launch scheduled from Vandenberg Space Force Base Thursday morning". KEYT-TV. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
 | This rocketry article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |